Winter Locked
by Tuume
Summary: In a time of trial, Fionna seeks comfort in a once enemy. But the monarch has a few secrets of her own...


**Voices in the Wind**

Disclaimer: I don't own Adventure Time or any of the characters in it. This is merely for my own entertainment and I in no way profit by writing this.

It's been over a year since I've actually written anything for this site, I'm ashamed to say. Well, a good old-fashioned contest on DeviantArt is just what I needed as a kick in the pants. Also, I'm going to put in a little planning into my stories instead of just winging it all the time.

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From the snow capped peaks of the Ice Kingdom, the winds tumbled over the Grasslands, rolling through the blades and making them dance. Uprooted, several blades of grass danced in the air, spinning in a dance that tantalized the young heroine even as the wind itself prickled at her ears, whispering subtleties in the back of her mind. The moon overhead gave rise to Fionna's blood, a pleasant thrum in her veins. Turning to look back at her home, she gave a final shrug of her pack, the weight reassuring her that everything was in place. She turned and ran for the border.

Thick and powerful legs and thighs tested by years of combat and tribulation pumped steadily and easily, carrying Fionna into the Ice Kingdom, the heroine sliding and leaping over the pure whiteness as is she were a snow leopard. Indulgent, she tumbled down snowy hills, dancing between the legs of snow golems wrestling at the bottom. She sprang from between them with a feral grace and a laugh that had the volume that only someone with a childish joy could produce. It was the type of joy one could get while visiting a friend. And recently Fionna had become in dire need of a friend. No offense to Cake but sometimes she needed her space, and her sister respected that. That wasn't to say she was fond of Fionna's choice, but she respected it all the same.

Visits to the Ice Kingdom had become a regular occurrence for Fionna over the years; somehow even more so since its ruler had, for some mysterious, yet appreciated reason, stopped kidnapping princes. Though, as if to fill the void, new problems had arisen like a zit on a dragon's butt.

The intricacies of government had never been on the forefront of Fionna's mind, but recent events had all but shoved her face into the doggie drops of politics. Though not a crime by any stretch, The Duchess of Nuts had been clapped in irons and sent to the candy dungeons indefinitely, or at least until the Prince Gumball's pudding stores had been replenished. Though substantial proof such as eyewitnesses to the crime had been reported, The Duchess cried innocence even to this day, weeks after the fact, much to the outrage of her duchy and family.

Not long after, citizens of the Wildberry Kingdom had clamored to her and Cake. According to the distressed berries, the Vampire King had taken to draining them dry of their juice instead of merely scaring it out of them as was his usual method. But that was not what drove the berries to the heroines; getting juiced was an often enough occurrence that they treated it as another fact of their lives. Plus, Marshall Lee usually only did it in good fun. The difference was that he had drained, and nearly killed Wildberry Prince himself. Only a rush transfusion had saved the fruit monarch's life. Unwilling to believe that Marshall would do something that irresponsible and harmful, she and Cake had immediately set out for his cave to get his side of the story and prove his innocence. On arrival, there was no trace of the king.

Not satisfied with what had already transpired, whatever higher power that governed Aaa had decided that Flame Prince should be the last factor that finally pushed the land over the edge and into chaos.

Sniffling as much from the cold as the memory itself, Fionna blinked away tears that had collected at the corners of her eyes. Things had only gotten worse since then. As she crossed the ice bridge leading to the entrance to the Ice Queen's castle, her gloom only increased as the frozen walkway and piled snow brightened under the radiance of the full moon. As she approached the giant doors the ice golems on either side nodded to her and opened the foyer to her, where dutiful penguins took her pack and deposited it in the quarters that had recently become hers during her visits.

Rubbing her arms, Fionna looked up as the telltale clack of heels on ice signaled the arrival of her host. Decked in her gown, with tiara and jewels around her neck and with eyes that were as vast and seemingly empty as the frozen land that she commanded, the Ice Queen cut an imposing figure as she approached. Fionna simply sighed and moved closer as the clawed hand reached to softly caress her cheek, eliciting a small shudder.

The monarch pursed her lips at this. Before Fionna could say anything to rectify what surely looked to the queen as a rebuff of her touch, the other woman simply said, "You would do well to wear heavier clothes. You don't have the resilience to cold like I do." Her hand moved up and into Fionna's hair, digging under her hat to lightly scrape at her scalp as she pushed back the fabric for better access.

Fionna snorted but leaned closer still. "Your castle's not that far, and I've got tons of threads here, just in case. There's no way Cake would let me out of the house if I didn't. She says hi, by the way."

"Really," replied the queen, her tone clearly saying she was unconvinced. "She said that?"

Rolling her head into the cool palm, Fionna grunted. "More like told me to tell you to keep your hands to yourself, otherwise you'd find a furry spike up your…" She trailed off when the scratching got heavier at the back of her head, whining a bit.

"I think I get it." said the queen. Her bemused expression turned serious. "How are things, really?"

A ball of lead dropped into Fionna's stomach, stifling what little joy she had managed to reclaim in the presence of her host. She gave a ragged sigh as the scratches continued, albeit slower, and answered, "It's… It's bad. The Duchy of Nuts is pounding at the Candy Kingdom's gates, Marshall's still missing and the Wildberry Kingdom is out ripping up Aaa to find him, the crime rate's blasted straight to Mars and back ever since Flame Prince up and exploded all over the Goblin Kingdom; me and Cake have even gotten citizen's from the City of Thieves breaking down our door because they want us to get rid of the goblin refugees that have run there."

She had started crying again. Some of the tears had frozen partway down, leaving a trail of shining ice along her cheeks. Morbidly Ice Queen thought it was beautiful.

"And what of the hordes from the Nightosphere? I wouldn't think that Abadeer would be idle."

Fionna managed to choke out a tearful giggle. Girly and light, it troubled the queen. "You have no idea. Every day her horde just seems to get bigger and stronger. It's like an endless seas of demons. Honestly, fighting so many wouldn't be so bad if…if…" With a cry of rage and despair, the heroine threw herself into the bosom of her once enemy, sobbing loudly.

"Oh Glob, it's bunked up! It's all so fudging bunked up! Aaa's falling to pits and nothing I do is working!"

Shocked, Ice Queen was stiff, but soon enough placed her arms around Fionna and pulled her close, the blond hair under her chin a warm counterpoint to their frozen environment. Pressed against her neck as she was, the queen could still make out from Fionna's words through the sobs and hiccups..

"You and Cake are the only things I've got in this nuts world, Ice Queen." She trembled. "You're the only one besides her that hasn't changed."

Soon after Fionna's sobs tapered off and the queen gave her some tea, reassuring the heroine that they would hang the next day. Watching her guest be lead to her quarters by one of the many Gertrude's, the Ice Queen sighed and began the flight to her own bedroom.

Once the door was locked she threw open her closet and glared at her other guest. "Get out of that! I didn't pay you just to laze around!"

Atop the shelf was nestled a small, rounded pet bed. In it rested a cat, markedly different from the one for whom the bed was lovingly made. Unperturbed by his latest employers attitude, the tiny thing merely gave a stretch before leaping out and giving a formal salute to the queen.

"First Class Assassin Me-Mow, reporting for duty." He dropped the salute. "And you haven't paid me yet."

"Shut up and come here!" Ice Queen picked him up roughly, ignoring the angry hiss and flew to the ceiling. Placing her hand on the ice, she uttered an incantation. Soundlessly, an opening appeared and the queen slipped through, it closing behind her.

Thanks in no small part to the reality defying gift that was magic, the room was spacious, despite how little space there should have been. Lining the walls were multiple maps and charts, bookcases filled with tomes that Prince Gumball would eat his own intestines to glimpse at. Animal furs filled a nearby closet full to bursting.

But it was none of that which captured the attention of the cat. No, his eyes were fixated on the ornate, gilded throne at the back of the room. Carved with the skill that only a master could possess, the seat exhibited an aura of regality and shimmered with a power that was both ancient and terrible. Then his eyes trailed upward.

Ice Queen gave a wicked chuckle at his gasp. "Surprised? I have to admit, it took him longer to fall than I thought, but he did. Honestly I think he looks good that way. Artsy."

Me-Mow glanced back and forth between the queen and the ceiling. "And the skins?"

"Totally fake. The ones up there anyway. Screw up your mission and I might just add a new, tiny white fur to my collection." She added a squeeze and a shark smile for emphasis.

She plopped into her throne and picked up a roll of parchment on a small table located next to it, she held the assassin and pointed to his directives. "These are all the entrances to the castle. Take this one here and you should arrive safely in the dungeons. I trust you know how to crack a nut?"

Me-Mow nodded.

Ice Queen gave another vicious smile. "Good. Now go." With that she spoke the incantation and tossed the tiny cat through the hole, cackling.

In the throes of manipulative joy, the monarch flew to the ceiling, brushing aside her many disguises to plant a kiss to the ice encasing the kidnapped Marshall Lee.

"Oh Marshall, things are going so well! Aaa's tearing itself apart and Fionna's not far behind! The time she's spent here has been some of the best of my life and soon enough she'll be staying with me forever! That's when things will really get good!"

Maddened laughter rang through the room. Ice Queen landed behind her throne, speaking another incantation. A door appeared in the material and she tore it open, revealing a helmet made from the finest metal, white and shining. And shaped like a rabbit's head.

She took the thing, swinging it, kissing it as she danced around her room, reveling in her chaos wreaking secrets.

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I hope you enjoyed that, because it sure felt good getting back into writing again. Tell me what you think and wish me luck!


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